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Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Mechanisms Underlying Adaptive Differentiation of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Induced by Regional Food Waste Domestication
by
, and
Bin Zhang
1,†,
Rencan Yang
1,†,
Zaimei Yuan
2,
Hongren Su
3,
Jingyi Shi
3,
Shichun He
3,
Sifan Dai
3,
Dawei Sun
1,
Zhiyong Zhao
1,
Qingquan Hu
1 and
Dongwang Wu
3,* 1
Yunnan Academy of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Kunming 650051, China
2
Kunming Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Kunming 650106, China
3
Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors have contributed equally to this work.
Biology 2025, 14(11), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14111584 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 17 September 2025
/
Revised: 30 October 2025
/
Accepted: 9 November 2025
/
Published: 12 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Ecology)
Simple Summary
Black soldier flies are efficient at decomposing organic waste, and their adaptability to different food sources is key for practical use. This study investigated the molecular adaptations of black soldier fly larvae after long-term domestication on regional food waste. It was found that the larvae developed distinct gene expression and metabolite profiles to adapt to specific food waste characteristics. Key adaptations included adjustments in detoxification pathways, nutrient metabolism, and stress response mechanisms, with certain transcription factors and unannotated metabolites playing important roles. These findings reveal how black soldier flies adapt to regional food waste, providing a basis for optimizing their use in waste treatment and strain improvement.
Abstract
Black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) are widely used in organic waste bioconversion, and their adaptive capacity to region-specific food waste is critical for efficient application. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation of black soldier fly larvae to long-term domestication on regional food waste from Kunming and Qujing. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to identify differences in gene expression and metabolite profiles between the two groups of larvae. The results showed significant divergence in gene expression networks, with key differences in cytochrome P450 detoxification pathways, TOR nutrient-sensing pathways, and zf-C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor families. Metabolomic analysis revealed region-specific metabolic reprogramming, including enhanced branched-chain amino acid degradation in one group and activated sphingolipid signaling pathways with accumulated indole derivatives in the other. Additionally, 13.86% of unannotated metabolites in the metabolome exhibited high connectivity in metabolic networks, suggesting potential roles as “bridge metabolites” in adaptation. These findings demonstrate that long-term domestication on regional food waste drives adaptive differentiation in black soldier fly larvae through regulatory network remodeling, metabolic reprogramming, and activation of hidden metabolic reserves. The study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing the application of black soldier flies in waste treatment and strain breeding and establishes a “substrate-gene-metabolism” multi-omics framework for understanding insect adaptive evolution.
